Adele's Story - A Sequel to Another Path
by junebug19
Summary: A sequel to Another Path. A story of Jace's daughter, Adele and the Lightwood children. It's a new shadowhunter world and Adele and Sizzy's children are attending the Shadowhunter Academy. Jace rules over the Clave but his heart is lost without Clary. Still, his daughter has inherited his strength, stellar shadowhunting skills and the fiery passion he gave up.
1. Chapter 1 Meet the Lightwoods

It was another new semester at the Shadowhunter Academy and Adele was looking forward to leaving the Herondale Estate after spending two long summer months there with her mother. The grounds were wide and beautiful. The sprawling country fields throughout Idris were always vibrant with the changing seasonal colors but it was a terribly isolated life out here. Just her mother, the servants, her tutors; everyone telling her what to do and what not to do. She was thirteen, with a thick head of long strawberry blond curls, the color had turned lighter from so many afternoons under the sun, long tanned limbs and shining golden eyes. She hated those eyes. How often she would look into the mirror and long to have her mother's beautiful blue green eyes. She could remember looking up into those turquoise pools as a toddler and knowing this was the color of love, faith and devotion. Gold was cold. Gold was faithless and unloving. She would miss her mother during the next few months she resided at the Academy but she would not miss her mother's habitual bouts of depression. It had become a monthly or bimonthly thing. A time when her mother would shut everyone out, lock herself up in her studio and just paint. She never invited anyone to view her work but sometimes Adele would sneak up when she knew her mother was not around, most likely asleep. The place was covered with gorgeous landscapes of their Idris home, of Adele as she grew from a giggling baby to the newly turned rangy teenager and of course her father.

There was an entire wall dedicated to him and Adele had to admit he made an impressive figure. There he was when her mother first met him. She had told Adele he had been in his mid-thirties at the time. Her mother was a decade younger and had fallen hopelessly in love with him. That was her favorite portrait of him. The only one where he was not dressed in his black gear or official Consular cloak. He looked human and almost vulnerable, still dressed in black, slacks and a long sleeved shirt, but there was a gentleness in his golden eyes that Adele never saw in them herself. He was not smiling. He never smiled but there was a vague openness in his expression that seemed to say he was willing to try. The other paintings showed him in various poses and distances, always in gear, sometimes presiding over a large Clave congregation in the glass city, sometimes standing off by himself but never again would he look approachable or close enough to touch. Even the close up portraits had him gazing away, his golden eyes carefully controlled and frigid. That was the Great Consul, Jace Herondale.

He was technically her father but she had been around other families enough to know theirs was not a typical father-daughter relationship. Actually the notion that they had a relationship was ridiculous. Although, she did have almost unlimited access to him. That in itself was considered a precious commodity. Even her mother was not permitted to see him unless prearranged and agreed upon in advance and it was rare that he agreed to meet her. Adele, however, had free range over his private residence in Alicante but she chose to make herself scarce. The initial pained look on his face whenever they met, before he could wipe it off, the way his shoulders tightened and the brisk manner of their conversations was ample proof that she was not truly welcome. Their longest conversation had actually addressed this very matter, that while she would always be permitted entry into his home, both preferred she stayed with her mother or at the Academy dorms. Surprisingly it had not been an awkward conversation, a discussion that ensued once it was determined that she would attend the Academy, within close proximity of his palace and some questions surrounding where she spend her nights was brought up. They both agreed it was best that she spent more time with her peers and less time with a father who had innumerable Clave matters to attend to and would likely not have any time for Adele. Neither mentioned that there was no desire by either party to spend time with one another.

The servants had packed a large trunk for her, with clothing, gear, bedding and all the other sundry items to make life at the Academy a more comfortable place for her. She was dressed casually, rather like a mundane, in blue jeans and a t-shirt, her hair pulled back in a high ponytail. She was ready to go. A carriage and horses were standing at the front of the Manor to deliver her to Alicante. Her mother was waiting for her by the main hallway.

"Darling, I will miss you," Lorraine looked down at her daughter, her eyes soft and glittering. "You will write me?"

Adele smiled and nodded, "Of course, mother. You'll get a letter from me every week." She knew it would likely be a one-sided correspondence. Her mother was not so diligent with her own letters.

"Darling, could you … would you … do something for me?" Lorraine asked uncertainly, looking at Adele tentatively.

"Of course, mother. You know I'd do anything for you." It was a natural response. Adele always tried to do anything that might bring some cheer into her mother's life. Her mother's happiness had become a constant and virtually unattainable objective for as long as she could recollect.

"I want you to visit your father," Lorraine stopped when Adele loudly sucked in her breath. "I know he's not an easy person to be around but he is your father and I worry. He has no one … to care for him."

Adele wanted to roll her eyes but suppressed it. "Mother, he has a palace full of people … all of Alicante and Idris would do anything he asked. I'm fairly certain there is no other person with more people who … care for him."

Lorraine shook her head sadly. "No, that's not what I mean. There is no one he will let in. No one but you. You must see him and make sure …" Lorraine's words trailed away. Even she did not seem to know what it was that she hoped Adele could accomplish, what her father would allow.

"If that's what you want, then of course, I'll go see him," Adele would not make her mother suffer through explanations she could not provide. It would be better that Adele suffer through another dampening encounter with her father, proving yet again how little he wanted anything to do with her.

"Thank you, darling," her mother exhaled gratefully. For a moment her face seemed to brighten but then fell back to its usual gloom. Adele felt certain this came with the knowledge that he would never permit Lorraine to casually enter his domain the way Adele could. She knew her mother had never stopped loving her father. It was evident in everything she did, said, refused to do and omitted. Adele promised herself she would never love this way. She would never throw herself over this precipice that promised only heart sickness and self doubt. Her mother had once been beautiful but after so many years wondering why her great love could not return her affections, her face was lined with sorrow and dashed hopes.

Adele gave her mother a long hug, kissed her soft cheek , assured her she would do anything her mother asked of her and finally, she departed the Herondale Estate with relief, the clomping sound of hoof beats a welcome drumming in her head to pound out any further thoughts.

* * *

The new headmaster had all the students line up in the main training field behind the storied Academy's brick and mortar walls. His name was Augustus Truetower, a recent transplant from the Chicago Institute. Adele thought him too young to preside over the Academy and he had a decidedly different view on student interactions from the last headmaster, a steely old lady, Mistress Corinne Firestorm. Under Ms. Firestorm, students had been expected to stringently adhere to their lessons, studies and training at the prescribed timetables and barely any free time was permitted for social engagements.

Adele had not minded this strict regimen where every hour of her day was planned. In fact, she thrived in this environment and any extra time she wringed out of her schedule from completing assignments sooner than expected was spent training. No one could accuse her of coasting through the Academy on her name. She had even argued with her mother about changing it. She did not want the Herondale title weighing her down with expectations and assumptions but her mother wouldn't hear of it. Her mother was not a Herondale. Her mother had chosen her own Shadowhunter name at Ascension. It was Dawnslight. Her mother had a thing about light and the different colors that appeared with the passing hours of the day. In any case, she had thought it only a temporary name, fully expecting to marry and take on the great Herondale name herself. Adele had heard the whisperings to know her father had jilted her mother at the altar. She wondered how her mother could stand the man but there was never anything other than admiration and dejected longing in her mother's eyes when she spoke of him.

Adele did not understand how Headmaster Truetower assigned an order to the student file. He stood in front of the herd and called out one name after another to stand in the next allotted space in his predetermined lines. They were not cast by age or alphabetical order. She could see students in their first years standing beside another in their final semester at the Academy with names at opposing ends of the alphabet.

"Herondale, Adele," the Headmaster called out loudly.

Adele inwardly cringed. So much for trying to keep that under wraps for at least a few weeks. Adele had hoped to prove herself, show everyone she was more than her last name before the truth inevitably got out. But she would not permit any sign of weakness and marched forward, her head held high to take her place in the next vacant spot on the third line formation. Not surprisingly, all eyes turned to her and a general hush spread through the crowds. Adele remained still. She contained the nerves that ran rampant inside her body and did not allow them to betray her. She had no idea who stood around her. All her concentration was devoted to an outward appearance of calm and strength. Finally, Adele realized the headmaster had ceased calling out names and all the students were standing in orderly rows and columns across the field.

"Students," Headmaster Truetower called out in a loud and friendly voice. "I'm sure most of you know this is my first year overseeing the Academy. Before my arrival here, I trained the young shadowhunters at the Chicago Institute and I found they greatly benefited from joint assignments and work groups. So, I'd like to try a similar teamwork approach at the Academy," he smiled brightly and Adele was reminded again of his energetic youth. He appeared to be in his twenties, a very young age to be responsible for over a hundred shadowhunter students. He probably knows someone on the Council she thought cynically.

The headmaster then pulled out a stele, bent down and carved something into the ground at which a variety of colored squares appeared beneath the feet of the student population. The square beneath Adele was a shimmering gold. It didn't bode well.

"So, I've spent many hours reviewing your records and background information and have carefully selected your teams accordingly. Within the immediate circle around each of you, you will find three other students who are standing above the same colored square. These students will be your assigned team through the year. You will notice in your semester itineraries there is a daily meeting scheduled with your team to regroup and train together. We will have assignments and competitions to determine team rankings and as the year progresses I will announce the special privileges and rewards that the top ranking teams will earn. It should go without saying that a shadowhunter is not a lone soldier. The best shadowhunters know how to work together and understand the whole is greater than the sum of its parts just as the whole Clave, operating together, harmoniously, will always be more effective than the individual shadowhunters, each pursuing their own agenda," Truetower spoke in a clear and earnest voice.

Adele was struck by his bold manner. There was something … slightly subversive about his speech, as if to imply the Clave was not currently operating at this optimal harmony that he hoped to impart on the Academy students. She began to warm to him. Plus, if she was going to be honest, he was easy on the eyes. A little over six feet, a lean and wiry build with broad shoulders, a wavy head of dark brown hair and sapphire blue eyes. Not that she really noticed much about males in general but she wasn't blind and she credited it all to building up the observational skills that were a necessity for any good shadowhunter. She was still watching the headmaster when she realized there were three other students clustered around her, in an unnaturally close proximity to her and shifted her eyes to take them in. The one immediately in front of her was tall, like a good six inches over her own five feet five inches and probably two or three years older than her. Like the Headmaster, he had dark hair, long curly chocolate brown hair that skimmed his shoulders and deep midnight blue eyes set in a bronzed complexion. She was almost startled by the long, angular yet elegant lines that formed his striking face and there was no doubt he trained religiously judging by the well defined muscles apparent over his chest, arms and legs. Shadowhunters tended to be a pretty good looking lot what with all the physical activities involved in their training but Adele rarely paid attention. However, this was different. She could hardly ignore someone who stood only two feet away from her … and looked down at her with … blatant hostility. His purplish blue eyes were narrowed under the scowl on his face, his lips curled back with disdain. He was clearly not a fan of the team he was assigned to with her among its members.

She was about to ask what his problem was when another deep, melodious voice broke into her thoughts. "Hi, I'm Shane. Shane Mallardswings."

Adele turned her head away from giant thorn up his ass to peer incredulously to her right at this Shane … Mallardswings.

"Is that your name … for real?" she asked him, one eyebrow lifted.

"Um … yeah," Shane responded a bit haltingly.

"Ugh," she retorted. "You realize you're named after a duck?"

"Yeah," Shane smiled shyly. "I was born with it. Mallards are beautiful. Don't you think?"

"No," she answered promptly with conviction. "They're ducks. Beastly animals, the whole lot of them, up to no good."

Shane's mouth opened in surprise, clearly taken aback by her words. Other than his name, he seemed a good enough fellow. Closer to her own age than Thorn, dirty blonde hair, dark brown eyes, an overall amicable and open demeanor but most definitely unprepared for her prejudice against all ducks.

Finally she turned her head to her left and looked down at a female version of Thorn except her eyes were a rich and creamy brown and they were wide and admiring as they gazed up at Adele. She was most certainly a first year and it seemed she at least was awestruck by Adele's heritage.

"You're Adele. Adele Herondale?" she whispered hesitantly.

Adele stopped herself from an automatic inclination to roll her eyes. "That's right. I'm –"

"You're just like I imagined," little Brownie cut Adele off. "You're just … so … beautiful and perfect."

Adele was at a loss for words. No one had ever told her she was beautiful or perfect. She felt her cheeks flush in a completely unfamiliar manner.

"I suppose you know who my father is," Adele finally found her voice.

"Uh …" Brownie looked confused. "Yeah, I guess, but all the first years talk about you," she gushed, her eyes starry. "You're the only first year to complete and win the annual trials. You're a … legend."

Adele looked at Little Brownie disbelievingly, "And that matters?"

Little Brownie blushed, "This is my first year at the Academy. My brother and I trained at the Manhattan Institute before this year. I'm Abigail Lightwood and that's my brother, Judah … Jude," she nodded at giant Thorn.

Lightwoods, thought Adele. That was a name she heard before. Her father grew up with Lightwoods, after his messed up history with Valentine Morgenstern. She had managed to extract that bit of history from a former tutor. The Morgensterns had royally screwed up her father. First Valentine, the renowned Clave criminal and then his children. But it was his daughter who must never be named. Apparently, just mentioning Valentine's female spawn was practically punishable by death. No one knew much about her other than if you dared to mention her in the presence of the Grand Consul, you could expect a prompt banishment from Idris and reassignment to the furthest, bleakest corners of the world. She had been firmly warned against ever hinting at this knowledge of her father's past and as much as she enjoyed taunting her father on occasion, a childish practice she sometimes resorted to just to get some semblance of human reaction from him, something told her not to test him in this matter.

"I wouldn't count on winning the trials this year," giant Thorn or 'Jude' finally deigned to speak to her but the rigidity in his face and posture remained.

"What's your malfunction?" she turned her face up to him, her hands planted on her hips.

"My sister doesn't care that you're the Great Consul's daughter, but I'm well aware of that fact and how much he's hurt my family," Jude glared down at her. She could've sworn his eyes flashed a bright almost neon blue.

"And that's my fault?" Adele couldn't believe her ears. He actually held her responsible for her father. "You're kidding me, right? You think I make a difference in his world?"

"You're his daughter, aren't you?" Jude continued to stare coldly at her.

Shane jumped between them then, "Now, cool it guys. We're supposed to be a team. Come on, Judah, I think you're being unfair. The Consul is our most esteemed leader and," Shane quickly moved off from the subject of the Consul at Jude's outraged expression, "we need to work together." Shane was just a little taller than Adele. "I'm fourteen. It's my second year here at the Academy and I personally witnessed your impressive accomplishments last year," he smiled down at her. "I hope we can be friends despite my last name." He gave Adele such a sweet puppy dog look with his big brown eyes that Adele could not help but thaw out … slightly.

"You're right, Shane," Adele conceded and stuck her hand out. "Please forgive me. We are a team and it's important that we work together." She turned to thorny Jude as she finished and while he hardly seemed appeased she thought he looked a little ashamed.

Jude stood tall with his head held high, "You're both right. Any personal feelings we may have should not be allowed to affect our academic performance." He breathed in as if to brace himself, "I apologize."

Some part of Adele wanted to tell him he had every right to harbor a grudge against the great Jace Herondale, that she shared his low opinion of the man even though he was revered by the general population, but she knew he would not welcome any camaraderie from her and even more curiously she realized that bothered her.

Abigail beamed at Adele and clutched the top of her arm, "Oh Adele! I do hope we can be friends. I'd love to talk to you about … anything!" she cried eagerly.

Adele was once again surprised by Abigail's wholehearted acceptance. She was so used to seeing all that was missing in her life that she never considered what others may construe as good about her, especially if it didn't center around her father. She was startled when she realized she was smiling down at Abigail. "Thanks, Abby. I hope we can be friends too."

Adele didn't even know where the words came from but they seemed to spring from her mouth and she felt a little amazed that she wasn't sorry she said them. She put a hand down on Abby's shoulder, she thought a bit stiffly, but Abby looked extremely pleased and maintained her admiring wide-eyed gaze up at Adele. She was about to walk away and retreat to her dorm room when a broad muscular chest blocked her way. It was Thorny Jude. Of course, couldn't let bygones be bygones.

"What do you want?" she asked icily.

"The next time you see your father, ask him about this new proposal the Council wants to pass against Downworlders," he spoke stonily but at least he was not shooting daggers at her with his eyes.

"Believe it or not," Adele shot back, her blood began to boil, "I hardly ever see my father. We're not close." She was about to shove her way past him but was stunned when he actually put his hands on her shoulders and held her firmly in place.

"Well maybe you should spend some time with him," Jude spoke quietly. "This is serious, what they're proposing. They want to ban marriages between Nephilim and Downworlders. Downworlders have been allies to Shadowhunters for hundreds of years. What do you think these new measures will do?"

Adele bit back the harsh words that formed in her throat, ready to declare that she didn't care, when she looked up at him and saw a raw, stark pain in his stormy blue eyes. She could see he didn't want to talk to her, that he was forcing himself to do this.

"I'm sorry, Adele," Abigail pulled her brother's hands off her. "Our father is a Downworlder, a werewolf. We just … we're worried, of course, about what will happen to our family if the Grand Consul approves these new measures."

Shane put his arms around both Lightwoods compassionately. "I'm sorry, guys. That's got to be incredibly … difficult. Although, honestly, I don't know why any Nephilim would ever take up with …" he let his words trail off as he took in the burning, offended glares from the three sets of eyes around him.

Adele turned to Jude. "I don't like you," she spoke clearly, "but I don't agree with any of these policies against Downworlders. They have as much right to live freely as any other souled being and Nephilim should recognize we were placed here by Raziel to protect all souls, not separate them. Now, get out of my way," she pushed past her teammates and stalked away. It didn't help her mood when she noticed the stares, pointing and whispers all around her. So she would be treated like a zoo exhibition, a spectacle for mass entertainment. Great.

"Adele!" Abby called out. Adele turned around reluctantly. "We'll meet again after classes, at four, in the field. We should start training together."

Adele nodded shortly and walked away as fast as she could manage without running.


	2. Chapter 2 Dreamy Tomas

A few weeks had passed since meeting Shane and the Lightwoods and Adele rushed through the halls to meet her team in the training fields. She could hardly wait to try out a new back flip kick and hold that she learned from Field Director Songsword earlier that day. She fully expected to have Jude on the ground and pinned down within five moves today. They were pretty much evenly matched but Adele had proudly claimed victory in their first sparring match.

That had been extremely satisfying, wiping away the smug assurance on Jude's face. She could tell from the relaxed stance he held as they readied for their match that he fully expected an easy win. She felt an unusual surge of glee when she spun around him, swept his legs out from under him then rolled over him to grab him in a hold she had learned to execute expertly over the summer. Since that first match, Jude wore an expression of grim determination and coiled his body like steel springs as they took their sparring positions. Abby and Shane were a little too easy to dispatch so Adele only got excited over a contest with Jude.

Next week they had all agreed to begin training with weapons and from what she happened to see from the other teams, Adele felt fairly confident that her team would rank very high comparatively. She had almost reached the back doorway that led out into the fields where her team met when she abruptly skidded to a stop. A cluster of four older students stood closely together and blocked most of the path to reach the exit. Adele had no intention of waiting for them to notice her and move out of her way and brushed against one of them as she attempted to skirt past them and out the door.

"Hey!" one of the boys moved in front of her. "I know you. You're the Consul's daughter."

"Yup, that's me," she replied evenly. "Now can you get out of my way?"

He was a big guy, bulky and wide, jet black hair, looked about 5'10" she quickly assessed. He probably spent all his time lifting crap above his head to produce the muscles on top of muscles look. He certainly looked like he could easily take a bear but he would have a hard time with anything fast.

"What's the hurry? Why don't you hang with us? I bet we're way more fun than the half breeds and 'gosh, golly, shucks' you're teamed up with," he drawled out with a smirk.

"Leave her alone, Charlie," another boy said softly but clearly.

Charlie turned to him, took in his steady gaze, then shrugged aside.

"Sorry, we shouldn't be blocking the doorway. I'm Tom," the other boy said as he held out his hand.

The first thing Adele noticed were his long, graceful fingers attached to a strong, sinewy arm, the clear definition of muscles bulging beneath tanned glowing skin. Her eyes moved up his arm to a wide well-formed chest, built very much like Jude she though randomly, and stopped at his sculpted face, sea green eyes and a tousled head of sunny blonde locks streaked with gold. She was momentarily stunned by this combination of gold and turquoise and choked down the sudden urge to run off. She knew that was weak and took a long, steadying breath then grabbed his hand shaking it briskly.

"I'm Adele. Thanks," she said coolly keeping her eyes on his.

His eyebrows lifted. He must be surprised I haven't fallen over, drooling at his feet. She had to admit her heart quickened from standing so close to this godlike creature … and touching his hand. Adele involuntarily squeezed his hand one final time then practically threw it away from her.

"Listen, Adele, I'm sorry if we got off on the wrong foot. I think you've done some pretty amazing things and I'd like to be friends," his smile was easy and confident.

Even though it made her shake a little inside, she inspected his face closely. What did he want? She thought he was sincere. She did not detect falseness in his honeyed tone or shimmering eyes … but what … why? Probably her father. Everybody worshipped him. Well, everybody except Jude. Even Abby could not bring herself to say a negative thing about him although she admitted how very sad her own mother would become when he was mentioned and how hard and distant her Uncle Alec grew at the thought of him. Like most girls, Abby sighed over what a "total man" he was. To them, he was irrefutable proof that shadowhunters descended from angels and no one could topple their romantic notions that he just needed to "meet the right woman" to take down the stony walls around him and bring warmth into his demeanor. Nobody ever mentioned Adele's mother. Everybody knew she was no encumbrance for another woman, that she could not touch his heart. Of course Adele thought it all ridiculous. The man was ancient. How a bunch of teenage girls could giggle and fawn over him was baffling. But Tom, now he was a different story altogether, but one thing Adele wasn't, or maybe two things, was a giggler or a fawner.

"Tomas," a rather impatient female voice rang out. "You do know she's a little kid … probably twelve."

For someone who wielded the age card with such a superior tone, the irritated girl was a tiny thing. Smaller even than her own Little Brownie, Abigail. But the way she groomed herself with such sleek precision bespoke someone older and more mature. A perfect, mink-like brown bob framed a heart shaped face, wide eyes fringed with thick black lashes that had been expertly applied with makeup widening and bringing out the green flecks in her otherwise brown eyes. Adele clamped down on an urge to reach out and see what the girl's doll-like face felt like.

"I'll be fourteen next month," she said instead.

"Well," Tom grinned with a crooked smile, "I'm sixteen and I'd say we all have some growing up to do. Come on, Marie. We've got our own team training to work on. Can't let Adele kick our asses again this year. See you around," he winked at her then walked away with said Marie, Charlie and another kid that looked her up and down before scurrying away after the others.

Adele took a few deep breaths. It was funny that she had spent the entire year at the Academy last semester without ever really meeting anyone. Sure, there had been plenty of stares and gawking but she had kept so wholly to herself that she honestly could not name one student that she had met last year and somehow she must have crossed paths with Tomas and had been completely oblivious. She wondered how that was possible but then chalked it up to the advent of raging hormones and walked through the doors to the fields.

* * *

"Adele!" Abigail shouted out. "You seem distracted."

Adele groaned and looked up at Jude smirking down at her. She rolled over and jumped back up on her feet. She almost sarcastically thanked Abby for stating the obvious but she had a score to settle with Jude. It was unfortunate and true. She was finding it difficult to get back into the zone once her mind started drifting over images of a pair of aquamarine eyes and sun-streaked hair. And for some unaccountable reason, standing here facing Jude made it even harder to push Tomas out of her mind as if it forced her to compare the two.

"Nah, that's not it," Jude said jauntily. "I'm just hellagood. Not gonna catch me off my guard again," he continued nodding at Adele.

She moved her body with legs and arms poised for another match.

"Again," she demanded.

Jude smirked and moved into position but was pushed away by Abby.

"No way! It's my turn. You and Jude practically monopolize our training sessions as it is. You two do know there are four people in this team, don't you?" Abby settled into a fighting stance then darted forward her hands reaching out at Adele.

Adele actually liked Abby and could not argue with her even though she really wanted that rematch with Jude. She easily tumbled forward, slipping below Abby's grasp and swept Abby's legs out as she jumped up. She grabbed one of Abby's flailing arms and twisted it behind her back bringing Abby firmly to the ground, unable to move. Adele applied the moves with swift precision as gently as she could manage but could not help herself when she ended the three second match calling out, "Next."

"Oof!" Abby grunted. "Seriously, Adele, you could've stayed distracted a little longer."

Adele grinned then released Abby and helped her up.

"I met a boy," Adele whispered into Abby's ear.

Abby's eyes grew large and her face immediately perked up. "Really? Since when do you care about boys?"

"Shhhh!," Adele whispered. "His name is Tomas. I don't know his last name but," Adele began to explain.

"Tomas Truetower," Abby cut her off emphatically with a goggle eye expression on her face. "He's the Headmaster's nephew and a total hottie. No wonder your head's up in the clouds."

Adele smiled down at her. "I knew you'd understand. I guess he's a pretty big deal? Like everyone knows his name?"

"Whose name?" piped Shane. He had walked over for his turn at a match.

"Oh, Adele," Abby sighed. "Everyone knows your name too. You're quite famous around the Academy."

Adele frowned, "Well that's just because of my father … but everyone knows Tom because he's Tom."

"What? Tom Truetower?" Shane asked perplexed. "You joining his squealing fan club, Abby? He's cool but his team … not the friendliest crew."

"Not me," Abby answered a bit coldly. "I mean, he's gorgeous but … not my type." Abby quickly looked down.

"So, if you're not into him, then," Shane wondered aloud and suddenly his eyes popped out and fixed on Adele. "No way. You? You've got a thing for him?"

Adele huffed impatiently. "I have no thing for nobody. I … we just met and I thought … he was nice," she finished somewhat lamely.

"That's a double negative," Shane responded with a laugh.

"Who's nice?" Jude walked over, his expression curious.

"Adele's got a crush," Shane answered still chuckling. "I know. Unbelievable. Our little girl's growing up."

Adele was not sure what had her more incensed, the notion that she was a 'little girl,' that she in some way belonged to them or that Shane had declared she had a crush. She stomped over to him stopping only a few inches away from him and slammed her open hand into his chest causing him to stumble backwards several steps.

"You're not even a year older than me. Do not call me a little girl. You know damn well I can kick your ass across this field and right out of Idris and I don't do crushes," she declared angrily.

The others stared at her with identical shocked expressions.

"Uh … okay, Adele. Take it easy. I was just joking around." Shane rubbed his chest warily.

Abby pushed Shane aside and pulled Adele away from the boys. "There's no need to get worked up about it, Adele," Abby whispered at her. "You know it's perfectly normal … half the school is gaga over him so it's not like anyone could blame you for feeling the same way." Abby put an arm around Adele's shoulder.

"I don't want to talk about this," Adele hushed back at Abby. "Especially not around them," she eyed Jude and Shane with a grimace.

Abby sighed and rolled her eyes. "Fine. It's not a big deal. Nobody cares."

Adele shrugged out of Abby's hold and found her eyes drawn back to Thorny Jude. He stood where they left him, standing next to Shane and he looked … confused. He was frowning. That was certainly not unusual but his eyes trailed after her clouded with unanswered questions.

"I still don't want to talk about it … around them," she whispered heatedly at Abby.

"But you do want to talk about it," Abby grinned conspiratorially , "when the boy's aren't around?"

"I don't know," Adele answered uncertainly, taking in the eager smile on Abby's face. "Maybe. I just … I don't have a lot of experience in this kind of thing."

"What do you mean?" asked Abby. "What kind of thing?"

"Talking with someone … about myself," Adele explained. "Having these kind of feelings … about anyone."

Abby's brown eyes shined. "You've never had a crush before?"

"I just told you people I don't do crushes," Adele seethed.

She realized she spoke louder than she meant to when Shane called out, "So you are crushing on Tomas."

"And you have a death wish," she hissed out at Shane but was held back from striding over to him by Abby.

"Oh, Adele," Abby shook her head. "The more you protest, the more everyone will be convinced you do have a crush on him."

"So I'm supposed to ignore it?" Adele sputtered.

"Yes," Abby explained patiently. "That is exactly what you should do."

"She's just a kid. Too young for him," Jude muttered with a scowl.

There was something dampening about his words and the fire in her blood seemed to fizzle out but she couldn't stop herself from walking over to Jude and imperiously informing him she wasn't too young to beat his ass and that was precisely what she did in the match that followed. Although it felt like Jude let her win without his usual determined effort and that only angered her more.

Still, she didn't question him about it. There was a strange and uncomfortable vibe between them and Adele found she was just as anxious to end this team training session as he was when the chimes from the clock tower declared another hour had passed and Jude gave them a quick goodbye wave and swiftly walked away.

Oh well, she hoped he was prepared. They had been told they were up for a team assignment soon, that they would be graded on their performance and it would weigh heavily on their ranking.

* * *

Adele sat in her room writing a letter to her mother. Her right leg jumped up and down involuntarily. Just nervous energy, she thought. She had already told her mother about the new headmaster, her teammates and that classes were going well enough in previous letters. She was consistently among the top five students in every class. Some room for improvement but somehow it just didn't seem to matter so much anymore. Her thoughts unavoidably went to her teammates. It was funny how they were always in the back of her mind. When she learned a new attack or defensive move she would immediately think about how she would use it against Jude and when she came across some fascinating shadowhunter lore that she had never heard before she would impatiently wonder when she would see Abby and be able to retell it to her with her own dramatic flair and of course, Shane. Well Shane was in almost every class with her as they were both second years and she had gotten used to his constant presence. His good humor and calm demeanor made it easier to ignore the stares and whispers from the other students. Shane had an easy way about him and he picked up friends wherever he went but he seemed to know how very lonely she was before she even knew it and he never abandoned her to banter and laugh with the others. He drew her out of herself and it now felt like she had always known him, that it was natural to joke and laugh with him, that he was truly a brother to her. But what had her thrumming with energy was the news that her team had received today.

They would be paired with another team and the eight of them would portal to New York to deal with a rogue trio of vampires that were draining the unfortunate human victims that crossed their path. Two unnamed adult shadowhunters would accompany them and observe their performance for grading and aid the students in the event they proved unable to handle the matter on their own.

She had never tested her skills in real combat and she felt a jumbled mix of excitement and anxiety at the prospect. She could tell the Lightwoods had reservations by the sober cast of their faces. It seemed they had numerous experiences dealing with Downworlders at the Manhattan Institute and had learned to apply diplomatic solutions in most of the Nephilim interactions there. At least they were not being sent on a mission to subdue werewolves. Adele wondered if they would be allowed to visit the Institute. It was not only the Lightwoods' home but it had also once been her father's residence. It would be interesting to see the place where he spent so many formative years.

Adele was uncertain how much to tell her mother about recent events. The mention of the Lightwoods in her first missive had actually stirred a response from her. She asked Adele to describe them in detail, what they looked like, how they sounded and moved, what were their personalities. It was only too clear to Adele that her mother's constant desire to be close to her father in any capacity had elicited this curiousity. She wanted to know the Lightwoods. She wanted to know the people who had shared so many early years with the man she loved. It was obvious he had been a different person then. At one time Alec Lightwood had been close enough to him to form a parabatai bond and his sister, Isabelle, had tried to visit, sent numerous letters, despite his repeated dismissal. The other Lightwoods, the father, mother and youngest son, Max, had perished during the Demonic Wars. Adele was sorry to awaken this interest in her mother. She knew it could only lead to the same conclusion, disappointment and sorrow.

Adele decided she would share the news about the upcoming team trial with her mother. It might divert her from these obsessive thoughts about her father. Her mother's letter reminded her of her promise to visit him and she resolved to get it over with and fulfill this promise as soon as she could. It would actually give her a chance to question the new Council proposal. The news had reached the Academy that the Grand Consul would consider the motion and likely make a decision during the Clave congregation scheduled on the very day of the team assignment. She would have to request some time to leave the campus to visit her father. Hopefully she could see him before the Clave meeting. She knew she had to say something to him. Even if she had never met the Lightwoods she knew it was wrong the way Downworlders were treated by Shadowhunters, a species that could not be trusted, viewed as less than human. She was not sure how or why she knew it was wrong. She had never actually met a Downworlder although she had seen them at a distance, passing by under strict surveillance as they attended some Clave summoning, but she recognized the oppressed and downtrodden and she had learned enough Nephilim history to know they were not her enemy.

And then the Lightwoods, themselves, were an unavoidable facet of her life. She cared for them, both of them, even Jude. It was hard to express, to clearly see what they meant to her, but she couldn't deny the feeling. It was easy to feel fondness for Abby. Her vitality, indefatigable spirits and uninhibited embrace of life and of Adele made it impossible to feel otherwise. Abby made her smile and more importantly she trusted Abby. Jude was different, of course. They were not chums, not remotely like Shane, but the hostility that sparked between them when they first met had long since faded and was replaced with a grudging respect, an acknowledgement that they were well matched and viewed the other as a formidable opponent and partner. There really wasn't much else between them but … she couldn't help listening closely when he spoke with his sister or even Shane. She knew from these conversations he was good and honest and would make an excellent Shadowhunter, a true protector of all souled beings. And he was affectionate and fun with the people he cared about and he loved his family very much. Adele never made eye contact with him except when they were sparring and she watched his eyes carefully then. He had very expressive eyes and she could often tell when he would move in or pull back from a flicker in those eyes. It wasn't that she was afraid to look in his eyes when they were not fighting. It was more that … the midnight hues were … distracting. She had always been able to steel herself, focus her mind entirely on the battle in a physical assault but at other times … it was not so easy. She could imagine her mother would find the sapphire and amethyst flecks in his blue eyes marvelous and fascinating.

Adele frowned and shook her head, berating herself. This was stupid. It made no sense for her to dwell on Jude's eyes. He was a good teammate. She wished him well. That was it. It was only too clear that Jude felt the same way. He hardly ever spoke to her except to coordinate their training schedules, provide critique after their sparring matches and occasionally a "good job" when he could find no fault in her combat. And whenever she met his gaze she could see the impenetrable barriers he put up between them. She wondered why he continued to treat her this way when it should have been entirely apparent to him by now that she had no relationship or influence over her father. Could he really dislike her so much because of the genes she could not control?

Of course Adele did not share these thoughts in her letters to her mother but she had made the mistake of describing Jude's eyes and her mother had asked her to take a picture of him and send it to her. Of course a modern camera with its digital capabilities or a smart phone would not work in Idris so she would have to wait a while before Adele could supply this picture. She was honestly puzzled at how she would ever be able to take a picture of Jude. Mostly because it would just be so bizarre and far outside of their "normal" interactions for her to ever ask Jude to take a picture or ask him for one he may already have.

Adele was still trying to imagine herself capturing a photographic image of Jude covertly when she was startled by a loud banging on her door. She was surprised when she opened it to find Jude actually standing there in person. He stood tall and stiff in front of her and she ventured a quick reading glance into his eyes. He was uncomfortable and maybe even a little nervous.

"Why, Jude," she finally said after a few long minutes of silence passed with the two of them standing at the door, "What brings you here?" She mentally congratulated herself for the even and unperturbed tone of her voice.

Jude tightened his shoulders and then released them as he spoke, "Would you come with me? There's something I want you to see."

"Do you want to practice now? It's kinda late," Adele asked. It was after ten but the only thing they ever did together was fight so it was naturally the first thought that came to her head.

Jude reached out and took her hand. "Come on, we're not sparring, nothing to worry about," he told her.

His hand was warm and strong and the feel of it over her own was so shocking that she was at a complete loss for words. She stumbled out behind him and closed the door with her free hand. Jude kept his eyes straight ahead as he guided her forward. He said nothing and it finally dawned on her she was trailing around the campus, holding hands with Jude, in her slippers, a tank top and pajama pants. Her hair was long and loose behind her back and the entire situation felt completely surreal.

"Umm, Jude, where are we going?" she finally spoke.

Though, she didn't pull away from him or remove her hand from his. She still kept walking complacently behind him and it irked her that it didn't irk her. They were outside now facing the glass city structures and he stopped, pointing to the Clave Citadel. It was a new structure, only five years old. It housed the Clave Assembly Hall, surrounded in crystal, rising high above the rest of the Alicante skyline. The witchlights positioned throughout the building glowed through the night. He turned to face her and he stared at her so profoundly, she found it unavoidable to look up at him.

"We will find out soon the outcome of the Council's new proposal. I don't know what will happen after the Grand Consul's decision. I don't know if my sister and I will be allowed to continue at the Academy. I don't know if I'm glad we came here at all," he said to her in a low but clear voice. "But, I'm glad we met you, Adele."

A strange sensation coursed through her blood and seemed to bubble up in her belly, rise up her chest and into her throat. She had no idea what she must look like at that moment, the careful control she applied to her emotions, her face, her body, seemed to vanish. She just looked at him and saw him. In that moment, she wondered how she had never seen him before. He was beautiful and strong and brave.

"Thank you, Jude. I'm … I'm glad we're … friends," she finally managed to say, never breaking their gaze.

A gentle smile appeared on his face. "Come on, we've got to get the main attraction," he led her back into the Academy and he brought them into the dining hall.

It was dark in the hall and Adele gripped Jude's hand tighter. He seemed to know where he was going and how to get there despite the dark. He seemed to have excellent night vision. It briefly crossed her mind whether this was an inherited werewolf trait. Then he reached the lights and turned them on.

A loud chorus of voices shouted out, "Surprise!"

Adele looked around her, bewildered. "What's this for?" she asked, finally pulling her hand out of Jude's. She turned around to look at a swarm of students, at least fifty of them, in varied attire, from sleeping garments like herself, to fully decked out party dress.

"Adele!" Abby rushed forward, "It's your birthday, silly! Happy Birthday!"

This was followed by a loud and off-key rendition of 'Happy Birthday' and a sea of hugs and pats on the back. Adele had never been so stunned. She moved around, unable to form full coherent thoughts or keep herself protected in her usual mental bubble wrap. At one point she even found herself in Tomas' embrace, as he whispered in her ear that he liked her hair down and he hoped she was having a happy birthday. She was beginning to feel as if she may never be able to have a rational, clear thought again when she realized the Headmaster was patting her on the shoulder and wishing her team good luck on their assignment at the end of the week.

She didn't know if this was the best time to bring it up but the words slipped out of her mouth without forethought, "Headmaster, I would like to request some time off campus. I need to visit my father, before his Assembly meeting."

He looked down at her, a curious spark in his blue eyes. "That may be difficult, Adele. You know it's Academy rules that students are not allowed off campus except on weekends and the Clave assembly is this Friday."

"It's really important, Headmaster. I need to speak to him … about the ruling. Couldn't I see him on Friday? Isn't that technically the start of the weekend?" she fixed her golden eyes on him, willing him to agree.

The Headmaster looked down at her just as intently, both of them weighing the other as if to determine whether they were allies or foe. Adele realized her stare could be viewed as insubordinate. Certainly, the former Headmistress would not have permitted such interactions with the students but it was clear from his first day that he was a very different administrator.

The Headmaster sighed, then chuckled slightly as he placed a hand on her shoulder. "You know, Adele. I don't envy any person who tries to stand in your way. Fine, then, you can leave campus at 9, Friday morning, but you must return before noon. You have your team assignment that day and you will portal out of Idris by 1. You must be ready to leave before then."

Adele looked up at him gratefully and could feel the freeze in her eyes thawing. "Thank you, Headmaster. I appreciate it and I appreciate that you allowed this … celebration?"

"Oh, don't thank me for that," he answered with a kind smile. "Your teammates were quite obstinate about it. They told me you've never had a birthday 'celebration' and had my back against the wall. I could refuse and be branded a cold hearted prig forever or if I assented then I would be a hero and champion in their cause. I really had no choice."

Adele felt a warmth in her chest. She wanted to hug herself to keep it locked in but kept her arms at her side instead. She watched the others as they stood or sat companionably clustered, eating cake, drinking and laughing with one another. But who were all of the other students that gathered here? Yes, the faces were familiar but she could not recollect having more than a few quick words with most of them. Most of them were Shane's or Abby's friends. The two of them probably knew half the student populace and certainly had no trouble assembling a party together. She did not realize she was looking for him until her eyes locked on Jude. He stood at a corner, holding a cup, smiling down at another student. She was a third year, probably Jude's age, a little shorter than Adele, long, wavy, caramel colored hair and a lovely tanned complexion. She had a hand on Jude's arm and she spoke in an animated fashion with a smile that never left her face.

"That's Thalia," Abby whispered into Adele's ear.

Adele turned to Abby. She didn't say a word but Abby continued to explain, "They've been hanging out since last week. I guess they're dating. I don't know what you'd call it. She's nice. She really seems to like him." A strange expression crossed Abby's face.

"You don't approve?" Adele asked her. Her voice sounded a bit wooden. A flash of some foreign emotion had been immediately suppressed and she felt nothing now. She just watched Jude and Thalia distantly and thought them a handsome couple.

"Of course not," Abby answered, looking up at Adele. Her brown eyes seemed to search deeply into Adele's but Adele could not meet them. "I mean, how could I object? Like I said, she's nice. I just don't know if … I didn't think Jude could … like a girl … casually." Abby giggled then. "He's just been so serious since we got here. I was beginning to think he'd never have time for girls."

"Oh," Adele nodded. "Thanks for all of this, Abby." Adele reached down to hug the smaller girl.

When she let go she found Shane at her side. A smile naturally lifted her face and her arms went around his neck. "I should kick your butt. You know how I don't like attention, but you're too cute to stay mad at," she laughed into him.

Shane returned the hug and patted the back of her head. "You don't have to hide, Adele. We're your friends. I want you to be happy."

Adele sensed that he knew more about what was going on inside her than she knew. Somehow he always seemed to know and she kept her arms around him, buried her face into his shoulder and let herself laugh and cry into him at the same time.


End file.
